CHENNAI: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an unmanned, remotely operated tank which has three variants - surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats. It is called Muntra. Though developed and tested for the Army by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadi, paramilitary has expressed interest to use them at Naxal-hit areas. That will require a few modifications.

The two remotely operated vehicles designed like an armoured tank were on display at an exhibition - Science for Soldiers - organised by DRDO as a tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam at CVRDe in Avadi.

Muntra-S is the country's first tracked unmanned ground vehicle developed for unmanned surveillance missions while Muntra-M is for detecting mines and Muntra-N is for operation in areas where there is a nuclear radiation or bio weapon risk.

The vehicle has been tested and validated at Mahajan field firing range in Rajasthan under dusty desert conditions where temperatures touched 52 C. Army comfortably tele-operated the vehicle. It has surveillance radar, an integrated camera along with laser range finder which can be used to spy on ground target 15km away - may be a crawling men or heavy vehicles.

The exhibition also showcased CCPT vehicle which is a remote command centre.

From a helmet-mounted night vision to nano-driven thermal and electromagnetic protection and laser weapons, DRDO showcased hundreds of products in an exhibition aimed at boosting the confidence of its employees and to change a negative perception towards the organisation in the government at heavy vehicles factory.

Besides heavy vehicles, DRDO labs also showcased a few inventions like a handheld wall penetration radar which if placed on a wall will project on a screen the presence of people inside a building and also a nano-based electro-magnetic shield which protects combat systems from electromagnetic attack and also a GSM monitoring system which helps to listen in on encrypted calls of mobile phones.

DRDO chairman S Christopher said the products displayed would convey the technical competence of the organisation to the soldiers and the society. He also said DRDO was working on installing AWAC (Airborne Early Warning and Control System) on an A330 aircraft. The system is now perfected for use on a smaller Embraer plane. The exhibition will be open to the public on Sunday.

Chennai: DRDO is looking for exporting version one or two of some weapon systems which become redundant for the Army because they have acquired newer versions, said its chairman S Christopher on Friday.

After inaugurating an exhibition that showcased a wide range of products that they were in talks with countries to export weapons and systems that are phased out by the Army due to acquisition of latest versions, he said, "Older versions are good for some countries which have shown interest. Some of the systems under development too could be exported. It would also create goodwill." He, however, did not reveal name of any country. He also said DRDO had urged the government to "allow us to test the products which we may not want immediately but can still be developed and exported. Torpedoes, rockets and missiles are a few products that are being considered for export." He gave the example of Pinaki rocket as latest GPS-driven ones have been developed.

Christopher also said DRDO products were ranked well world over. "We are fourth in the world in AWAC and fighter planes, fifth in missiles. Arjun is not far away from being the best among some countries."
As the thrust is on roping in private companies, DRDO is looking at capitalising on intellectual property. Private companies are being roped in because they are better placed to market and manufacture DRDO products and the Army seems to be more receptive when products are presented by private companies. Already 1 lakh crore has been generated in two years.

"If we can generate 5 lakh crore in five years we do not have to depend on government for funds," he said.

Was at the DRDO expo yesterday....Muntra-S stands for Mission unmanned tracked vehicle-Surveillance. Spoke to a team member of the project..platform is BMP-2 with our proven Battle field Surveillance Radar and it has CCD day and Night thermal imaging capability. Dual video and data 2 way link with anti jamming capability..with line of sight transmission range of 20 kms. It is currently awaiting orders.They have demonstrated the system to Tamilnadu police for sea coast surveillance with data/video transmission through fiber optic cable and they are very interested in the system...the best news is direction has come from higher ups to actively promote the product for overseas clients and not to wait for orders from local buyers. The objective is with the popularity of the product overseas the local operators would be pushed to buy this indigenous product instead of opting for foreign maal.

It is currently awaiting orders.They have demonstrated the system to Tamilnadu police for sea coast surveillance with data/video transmission through fiber optic cable and they are very interested in the system

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And thereafter on the Wikipedia page of BMP-2 under the "operators" header, it would say "Tamil Nadu State Police, India".

Makes sense since we got a lotta love for Russian maal.

Seriously though, what would be the cost of re-purposing old BMP-2s as they retire and re-equipping them for surveillance roles for the BSF and

CRPF, ITBP (tell me I am mad) and J&K Police (funny 'cause we never saw Army use these beasts to tame Kashmir, but the police will).

Even if we start replacing BMPs in Army service with FICV, it will take about 2 decades to replace them all meaning that spares will still be produced for the next 20 years. Which means if the costs are not too prohibitive, we can re-purpose the BMP-2s that retire early for surveillance roles in BSF (Bangladeshis would sh** their pants lol) for at least 30-40 years (scavenging retired BMP-2s might make the BSF ones work 10-20 years after the spares dry up).

And thereafter on the Wikipedia page of BMP-2 under the "operators" header, it would say "Tamil Nadu State Police, India".

Makes sense since we got a lotta love for Russian maal.

Seriously though, what would be the cost of re-purposing old BMP-2s as they retire and re-equipping them for surveillance roles for the BSF and

CRPF, ITBP (tell me I am mad) and J&K Police (funny 'cause we never saw Army use these beasts to tame Kashmir, but the police will).

Even if we start replacing BMPs in Army service with FICV, it will take about 2 decades to replace them all meaning that spares will still be produced for the next 20 years. Which means if the costs are not too prohibitive, we can re-purpose the BMP-2s that retire early for surveillance roles in BSF (Bangladeshis would sh** their pants lol) for at least 30-40 years (scavenging retired BMP-2s might make the BSF ones work 10-20 years after the spares dry up).

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you are absulutly right.... WAR ON DOOR and india keep testing like this (for western wold)toys..

I had mentioned for Chennai police the data link is through fiber optic cable ..i.e. it is a static coastal surveillance system to protect the long coastline deserted in most places...bmp2 will not be used..neither will anti jamming feature will be used.....Bmp2 s just a carrier vehicle v have in surplus ...hence it will be used to mount any light weight offensive/defensive payload...the mast height can be extended while using in sand dunes

We should mount a 20 mm gun to this as well, It would be a proper vehicle to guard borders, do anti terror ops & hunt naxals else these machines can be sitting ducks without offensive capability.

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20mm? Aww.. that would be cute.

Note: Only anime fans will get this joke.

Why not retain the current cannon? Simplifies logistics. Also, not sure how useful it would be in Naxal ops in dense forests.....
But BSF can sure make use of this. Can surely make smugglers shi* their pants.

my take on all these delays and preferene for foreign products plus what arnab goswami said in isroo there was a project where all the approval at each stage from top to bottom was done by the SAMEPERSON ...and so he suggested a venor and also approved the buget and then apprved the purchase

to put an end to all this nonsense , defence ministry should have an in -house management team to be assigned to inspect the managemtn of each important project and report direct to the aminister .....and each year the members of that team should be rotated ...the whole team should go back to their jobs and re,placed by new members ...this way any malpractie by the teammembers can be undone by the neew team

well those are basi ideas ..... we need and independetnet management team to analyse the progress of eah importatn project and be directly report to the minsiter direct to avoid andy bullying and influence .is the main idea

to put an end to all this nonsense , defence ministry should have an in -house management team to be assigned to inspect the managemtn of each important project and report direct to the aminister .....and each year the members of that team should be rotated ...the whole team should go back to their jobs and re,placed by new members ...this way any malpractie by the teammembers can be undone by the neew team

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There should be a serious subject on PROJECT MANAGEMENT in all verticals in colleges and school
levels, be it any discipline.

Such should be a cult that needed to be developed in the INdian masses!

Army to deploy robots to fight terror in Kashmir
An army proposal, projecting a requirement of 544 robots, has been approved by the defence ministry, paving the way for the indigenous development of such machines, army officials said.

Indigenously built robots, capable of delivering ammunition at intended locations, will soon be used by the Army in its fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

An army proposal, projecting a requirement of 544 robots, has been approved by the defence ministry, paving the way for the indigenous development of such machines, army officials said.

The army’s proposal for adopting robotic security and surveillance stresses that the footprint of terror has expanded from jungles and rural areas to urban sectors, necessitating the induction of the systems in the force.

“The way the situation is evolving (in J&K), it may just be a matter of time when security forces as a whole, and Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in particular, will be facing the threat in built-up and super built-up areas,” the army said, making a strong case for robotic platforms.

Involved in carrying out scores of operations daily, the RR is an elite counter-terrorism force raised in the nineties. “These robotic surveillance platforms can be extensively used by the RR forces…for gathering real-time input prior to manual insertion,” says an army note.

The “lightweight and rugged” robots will consist of several subsystems such as surveillance cameras and transmission systems with a range of 200 metres. The army’s requirements state that the robots should be able to “deliver suitable ammunition…e.g. stun grenade.”

The approval for the robotic surveillance platform has been granted under the ‘Make’ category of acquisition in the Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 that lays down that only Indian vendors are eligible for the projects.

The army has also factored in the possibility of two or more teams operating jointly in a target area. “A second unit which can be operated alongside the first unit by a single operator with the same remote (having at least dual display screen) should also form part of the system,” the note adds.

The force has been using a locally-produced remotely operated vehicle, Daksh, for handling improvised explosive devices. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Daksh can climb stairs, has three-hour endurance on battery, can be operated with remote within a range of 500 metres and can lift 20 kg loads.

Intelligent Remote Information Sensor (IRIS): This product has been delivered to armed forces of the country to carry out surveillance operations to get the defence personnel a strategic advantage during counter terrorist operations. 360 degree Audio and Video Coverage Night Vision Capability Audio / Video transmission to a remote operator unit Control over rotating of the device for 360 degree coverage Operations for 2 hours. Ability to detect humans and human voice

Mobile Robot for ISR operations – MOLE: This mobile robot for rugged Intelligent Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations has been successfully developed and delivered to various armed forces. It is a multi-terrain wireless surveillance robot designed for personnel engaged in counter terrorism, law enforcement search and rescue amongst many other activities.

The Kalyani Autonomous Rover called ECARS – Enhanced Collaborative Autonomous Rover System had made its debut at the 2016 DefExpo in Goa. Developed in-house by the pune-based Kalyani Group, the new rover can be used for mine detection, bomb disposal, perimeter security, operation in a hazardous environment, and so on.

Featuring characteristics of an ATV, the Autonomous Rover can also be controlled remotely using a computer and gaming stick, as shown in the image below.

Kalyani Autonomous Rover (ECARS) is a 4 wheeled ATV with a skid-steer mechanism and autonomous operation using video motion sensors. It also features enhanced collision avoidance system, threat analysis, learning & mission planning. Built on a multi-functional and multi-sensor platform, Kalyani Autonomous Rover (ECARS) is capable of multi-tasking.

Tha all-terrain amphibious vehicle derives power from a battery-powered electric motor. It can last for up to 6 hours in silent mode. In manual mode (when operated by a human remotely), it has a top speed of 20 kmph, while in the autonomous mode it has a top speed of up to 15 kmph. Climbing capability stands at max 45 degrees slope.

for border, homeland & perimeter security
State of the art UGV with hybrid engine for long haul deployments
Light weight & silhouette independent-suspension based all-terrain vehicle
Open & scalable architecture, can integrate with any payload

The Indian Army won’t ever forget February 2016. It was that month when Sonam Post, one of its highest permanently manned positions on the forbidding Northern Glacier was struck by a terrifying slab avalanche. On the strength of a desperate radio message from beneath the avalanche debris, the Army had deployed nearly 150 personnel in a frantic hunt for survivors. It was six days into this search that a rescue team had found Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad alive under nearly 30 feet of snow. Over a year — and a handful of similar avalanches — later, the Indian Army is about to explore new territory in its fight to be more prepared and slice away the hours required to find survivors in inevitability of another snow disaster.

Livefist learns that the Indian Army will shortly begin familiarisation and user trials of a new Indian-built unmanned tracked vehicle, Himbot, developed by the DRDO’s Snow & Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE). The platform appears to be a spin-off of a series of impressive new unmanned systems fielded by the DRDO in recent years, including the in-service Daksh ROV. A HimBot prototype was field tested starting 2013 till late last year at the Solang Nullah research station in the lower Himalayas.

In official literature by the DRDO published recently, the HimBot’s features have been described thus:

" The vehicle with all the sensors, battery packs and camera weighs approximately 43 kg and measures 67 cm x 67 cm x 24 cm and is 24 cm high with its two tracks which are approximately 67 cm long and 12 cm wide. The chassis and the protective enclosure are made from high grade aluminium alloy. The tracks are made up of special grade rubber that can withstand sub-zero temperatures. The teeth of the tracks protrude out roughly 1.8 cm at 2.5 cm spacing. Each track is supported by three sprocket wheels made of high strength glass filled fibre material. Two motors directly drive the front sprocket wheels on each side of the vehicle. "

Army sources tell Livefist that a prototype HimBot could be field tested in the Batalik sector of Jammu & Kashmir this year, though a precise location hasn’t been confirmed yet. An officer at the DRDO laboratory developing the HimBot confirmed that discussions with the Army were on, and that there was a ‘high level of interest’. The team is currently working to sort out crucial issues that emerged during development field tests, including line of sight niggles, endurance and the ability to negotiate even steeper snow slopes. A design refinement and ruggedisation process is also on. The team notes:

" The unmanned tracked vehicle, HimBot, has the ability to support scientific research in snow bound areas by providing reliable operation during scientific surveys and expeditions. It can also be modified to suit military applications like reconnaissance, surveillance, unmanned combats and explosive disposal. This lightweight tracked vehicle, which has been designed to have large ground clearance and low & uniform ground pressure on its tracks, can be adapted to perform a variety of tasks in snow bound regions like GPR and GPS surveys, snow sample collection and deep snow profiling [with penetrometers]. The results obtained from field tests indicate the robustness and the capability of the vehicle to overcome over-snow mobility problems. "

The HimBot is only the latest affirmation of the DRDO’s serious focus on simple tactical unmanned systems for forward deployed forces, both in offensive and support roles. Research studies conducted through the last decade have born fruit in the form of a handful of sturdy, rudimentary mini vehicle designs (both tracked and wheeled) that have resulted in a series of custom-built low cost ground robots for the military, police and paramilitary forces.

These photos were taken by me during 2012 expo, It was first time i saw our own UGCV first hand, It was impressive with 30mm AGL and 7.62mm MMG ..

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Pictures i took during 2014 expo, It was really interesting to see an Armoured cover over optics and Gun systems and electronics, The prototype was call rudra and was different from 2012 model, Its interesting to note that optics and gun placement were changed here ..

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This is the recent config, Seems like designers are back to 2012 design but re-modified, The gun positions are moved again, The ammunition box for 30mm AGL is relocated, Updated FCS and optics ..

DRDO's unmanned wheeled counter terror "Gun Mounted Robot for the Indian Army's Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda at the North Tech Symposium', at Headquarters Northern Command, Udhampur, J&K. The platform will soon be in service.

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Back in 2016, Army brass visited this system and wanted it to be in CT areas with improvements ..